Injury a reminder no one's indispensable

  • Published
  • By Maj,. Charles Silvanic
  • 60th Comptroller Squadron commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  It was just a typical Sunday evening for me, playing pickup hockey at the rink up in Vacaville. There was nothing unusual about the play. I just lost it in a race for the puck. They always say not to try and brace a fall with your hands. This was just one of the pieces of great advice, I didn't take.

There I was, skates up, airborne for just a split second, my arm extended with just enough time to ... crunch. My wrist was now shaped like an S.

This isn't good.

"Keep playing guys, I'm going to the hospital."

Little did I realize, that in addition to a painful recovery, I was about to learn a great lesson in humility and the value of some great advice.

I'd heard it many times before. I'd even repeated it to everyone who's ever worked for me. "Take time for yourself. Recharge. Exercise. Spend time with your family. Use your leave. You'll be more use to us if you take care of yourself."

Why hadn't I applied that advice to myself? Am I above it? Am I that important? I guess I've always figured that I'm healthy. I exercise. I spend time with my family.

That's no problem, but leave was another story. I always tend to use it in between assignments. There just never seems to be a good time to step away from work. I just don't want to dump my workload on somebody else. Who would take care of, you name it? Imagine the pile of work waiting for me when I return. There are so many reasons. I'd venture to guess that I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Back to my S-shaped wrist; let me take a moment here to quickly thank all of the staff at David Grant USAF Medical Center who put me back together. I couldn't ask for better care. After they patched me up, I was placed on convalescent leave to rest and recover. So began the first leave I have taken since my arrival at Travis.

We put our young captain on orders and I reluctantly stepped away.

Then it happened. Nothing. No emergency phone calls.

No constant requests for "sage" advice. They were doing fine without me--better than fine. Fantastic. Every time I called the office, it became clearer. They've got this.

My team is good. They're superb Airmen at every level. I know they're good. I knew they were good before I left, so why should I be surprised?

I'd like to thank everyone in my unit and across the Wing Staff for this dose of reality; for reminding me just how awesome they are and for helping me recognize that I'm far from indispensible.

When you have a great team, nobody's indispensible. As for taking advice; I'll sooner fall on my face than extend my arm next time I fall on the ice and I'm already thinking about putting in for some real leave; the kind where you take time to step away, recharge and spend time with family.